One Step Closer
by Traka the Elf
Summary: A mystery depression, Kate goes kill crazy story.  Her family is at stake, and she must chose from many paths.
1. Chapter 1

Fiction C PART 1

The storm raged outside the window. It was late at night, a time when Kate would normally feel calmed by the storms. But this was hardly normal watched as the trees blew and the rain patted hard on the window she was sitting in. She sighed, 'Where is he?'

The storm grew in size unto the point where Kate compared it to a maelstrom. She felt as if the house would be picked up and blown away. As if that was the least of their worries. The newspapers continued to read of government deaths. That's why she was worried about Milligan. 'It can't be Curtain, Oh god don't let it be Curtain.'

Of course the reporters had no leads; it was as if an assassin was targeting them. Even Mr. Benedict seemed more reclusive than ever. And Milligan was gone almost all the time now. Tracking this killer. He had told Kate that it was probably Curtain. She tried to hold back tears as she remembered how she felt when he last left… like she would never see him again. It was raining when he left.

And then all of a sudden she heard the door knock. 'Odd, who would the security let in at this time?'

Since no one else was in the room she went to answer the door of the maze. She opened the door and looked down. Lying at the floor was a badly wrapped brown package. She leaned down to pick it up. "Hello," She called into the maze holding her bucket close.

No answer. She looked at the package, to see who it was addressed to. It scrawled hardly readable handwriting was her name. Her hands shaking she opened the package fearful of what would be in it. Not some sort of bomb surely, the security would have made sure of that. The Brown paper slipped off onto the floor, laying in her hands were an item and a piece of paper, hand written on in cursive. One look at the object and she screamed, backing up. Their was no way that this could be happening.

ONE YEAR LATER

The wind howled, but unlike this night a year previously, no rain had come or was going to come. It was dreary. A hooded figure darted along the road, then quietly and almost entirely without notice the figure slipped into a shop with an obvious closed sign on it. It more shack like than store like. But there wee very valuable things to be ought if you knew who to ask. The hooded figure darted up to a man and showed him a piece of paper.

"You!" He exclaimed aghast, "You're the one that Curtain meant?"

"Jackson honestly, you're as stupid as ever. Now hand me the other part of it!" The hooded figure, whose voice was obviously female said, "Before I make you."

"Ooh, very fierce aren't we," Jackson laughed sitting down in a chair beside a pile of large boxes. He pulled something out of his jacket, which was rather shiny and attached to a chain.

She reached for it quickly, but Jackson pulled it back, "Getting rather feisty there aren't we Miss Wetherall."

"You're drunk," Kate remarked looking away. "Curtain's obviously lowered his operation quality."

"You're not getting this," Jackson said waving it in the air.

"I don't _want _to kill you," Kate said in a syrupy voice.

"A sweet sixteen year old girl like you… couldn't kill a fly," Jackson laughed until his eyes drooped, and then suddenly opened again, still laughing.

In a second Kate had pulled a knife from he cloak and slit Jackson's throat. She wiped the blood off on his cloak and blew on the knife, smiling. Then she reached into his jacket and pulled out the item she was looking for. Laughing with happiness she held it to her heart. 'One step closer.'


	2. Chapter 2

Fiction C PART 1

**A/N So as you might've realized this is the story of how Kate Wetherall quickly falls in mental stability. To put it lightly. This chapter continues on that rainy night when the package came.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything worth any value… yet. (Laughs maliciously)**

It was what Kate had always feared. And now it had come to pass. She lay on her bed crying. The adults were looking the item over. Luckily for Kate… and her family she had hidden the piece of paper from Mr. Benedict. The adults were worried that the item might make Kate go crazy and make a rash decision. "We have to be careful before we make the next move, bla bla bla," Kate said. Though mocking someone's words rarely helps anything it made Kate feel better.

Sighing she rolled over on her bed and looked at the wall. It had been two weeks. Two weeks and Mr. Benedict was still waiting on information from his sources. She looked around the room. She was losing time. She only had a week now. After all the paper had said: _Meet me in London, by Cleopatra's needle at 4 pm on August 1, 2011._

Time was running out, if what the rest of the paper said was believed to be true. But she couldn't think about that right now. She must ready herself. She must make her escape.

Reynie was getting worried about Kate. She seemed to be losing her mind. And while Constance had made poems about marbles… well Constance hadn't seen what that item was, nor did her think she would truly grasp its consequences if she did see it. Of course she most likely would. Worried she might do something stupid Reynie left the room he was in to check on her. Technically he wasn't supposed to, for Mr. Benedict had forbidden it, but he cared about Kate to much to let himself see her doing this to herself. Descending the staircase to her room, he felt an uttermost feeling of gloom.

It was disturbing, following the well traveled hallway to Kate's room. All the lights had been turned off. Reynie wished he'd remembered to bring her flashlight. He had been smuggling the contents of her bucket for the last two weeks. 'It's as if we're holding her prisoner,' Reynie thought s he felt his way along the hall.

Which wasn't technically true. Mr. Benedict _had _tried to help. In every possible way that he could think of in his vast and complex mind.

Reynie used the key he had managed to make a copy of to sneak into her room. The three others had been visiting her on a regular basis. Kate was sitting on her bed all signs of tears gone. And she was thinking. She was staring at the door very hard. When he entered she smiled. "Reynie did you manage to get the slingshot?"

"No, in fact I couldn't get anything this time. The next I'll be able to get it is the day after tomorrow, that's when the guards change."

"Drat, I need it now."

"Kate," Reynie said sighing, and then sitting on her bed. "We need to talk."

"Reynie, You saw the locket."

"There's more to it Kate. You're hiding something. Rhoda already suspects and Number 2 as well."

"Why would I hide something like that, Reynie? It could be important," Kate said calmly.

Reynie sighed, "Because they know you Kate, and _I _know you. If you thought Milligan might be endangered by showing us you wouldn't."

Her voice faltered. "You don't know that."

"Kate you can tell me."

Kate stood up and looked out the window, at the stars. "I'm leaving this place Reynie."

"Kate don't you think that's a bit drastic," Reynie said laughing nervously, trying to pull her away from the idea."

"No."

"Kate you can't just… betray Mr. Benedict's trust like this," Reynie said, his persuasion now obvious in his voice.

"Why not," Kate said pulling out the piece of paper and reading it again, looking at the words that gave hear so many emotions.

Reynie threw in his last effort, "What would Milligan say?"

"Oh, let's not bring Milligan into this," Kate said.

"But _he's _the one we thinks captured. For goodness sake the package was addressed form the Institute. It isn't even open any more!"

"No," Kate said, looking at him sadly, "Milligan's not a part of this."

"But then," Reynie said, but was interrupted by Kate throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"It's not about Milligan," Kate said, "I can't tell you everything… but if you can come with me, Ill be able to."

"You want me to run away with you to find…?"

"And Sticky and Constance if they'll come. As for what we'll be looking for well… I'll have to tell you once we get out of here."

"Kate, I don't know about this."

"Just like old times Reynie, a case to solve and Curtain to defeat," Kate said persuasively.

Reynie was still hesitant. But then Kate leaned close, with tears in her eyes and said, "Someone's life is at stake."

Kate was very persuasive. And that's how Reynie found himself ten minutes later, leading a confused Constance and Sticky towards the room where that item was. Reynie used the key he had 'borrowed' ("Someone's life is at stake!" he explained to a confused Constance and Sticky.). Kate was waiting for them, "Do you know how hard it was to go through the floorboards?" Kate exclaimed.

Then she held up the item. It was half of a locket, half of a heart.

The mysterious benedict society got through the house by means of the attic. And a recovered bucket with a rope. They exited the grounds of the house and began to run. Finally when they reached a street corner two blocks away Reynie stopped Kate, "Explain."

Kate's mother and father had shared two halves of a locket, that connected, and whenever they left they carried the one with each other's picture with them. Then Kate's mother had died in a plain crash and her side of the locket was lost. Milligan however had lost his as well, but then recovered again back at the lake house and the farm. He had said, "If only I had kept it with me, my memories may have returned sooner."

The locket had come in the mail, with the Institute's address. A message from Curtain. But even more astonishing when they opened the locket the picture was not of a young mother but of a middle aged mother. The message was clear: Kat's mother was still alive, and Curtain had her… and Milligan.

**A/N Ok so… this is going down an interesting path. How will Kat finally go completely mad? All will be revealed!**


	3. Chapter 3

Fiction C PART 3

**A/N Now I realize that I rushed the last chapter. I now wish I had saved that reveal. Oh well, anyway I will save the rest of the surprises and use them sparingly. So… onwards! By the way as you might see my writing consists of short frequent updates, as is my style in fan fiction. **

**Disclaimer: I don't see the use of a disclaimer, I never have. If this was original I wouldn't be writing here.**

_**JULY 25**__**th**_

Ledroptha Curtain rolled his evil metal contraption through the halls of what used to be the Institute. The Institute was now a base for Curtain. He somehow managed to 'convince' the government to let him out of prison. And now he was back in business.

Curtain screeched through the halls before coming to a stop before a door that was guarded by four ten men. Upon seeing Curtain they put him through a phase him of questions and made him show them a pass before letting him in. All to make sure that he was not Benedict. Curtain entered the room quickly and zoomed up to the new whisperer. He still called it the whisperer but it was capable of so much more.

Curtain wheeled up to the new whisperer and put in a plug, the device needed more transmitting capabilities. Laughing he wheeled back out of the whispering room and down the hall. He had barely gone twenty feet before McCracken ran up tom him. "Curtain, sir," he said in a tone of respect.

"Yes?"

"I have a call for you, it's from our…" he looked down the hall at the ten men, and said, "our associate."

"Right, tell him I'm busy," Curtain said and continued to wheel down the hall, as McCracken hurried to keep up.

"Sir he wants to talk _now_," McCracken said with a hint of nervousness. "It's about the trouble we've had in Stonetown with the house."

"Well you can tell Mr. Swinthon, that he is not the boss of me. Also tell him that it is being sorted. Our work with Kate Wetherall has already started, I'm expecting to get news any minute now!"

"Well alright." 

At that exact moment a ten man ran up. "Curtain, she has gotten out of the house, they should be proceeding to London, where we will meet them."

"See," Curtain said turning his chair to McCracken.

McCracken growled. Curtain smiled and laughed, "We are one step closer!"


	4. Chapter 4

Fiction C PART 4

**A/N Come one people, review. I don't normally demand reviews but I would like a few. It helps me write faster. So, thanks for reading. **

**Disclaimence- I decided to get rid of the ownership of MBS, I didn't really need it anymore.**

_July 26__th_

Kate woke up with a start. She looked around the room she was in. The room was a hotel room with two queen beds. Constance slept with her on one, and the boys were on the other. Kate stood up and began to get dressed. Today was going to be a very busy day. Just like the night before had been. It was still vividly in her head. And it was terrible. She shuddered remembering what they had done.

_July 25__th_

They had rushed through the city to the nearest ATM. Sticky luckily had read every book on computers the summer before so could easily trick thee device into thinking he was his parents. Even luckier was the fact that they missed the five o'clock mark, which is when the ATM would close. They then decided that their next move would be to leave the city. SO they headed to the bus stop.

"Well need new identities," Kate said walking down the road.

"Right," Reynie said leading them to the bus stop. "Sticky can you get those for us?"

Sticky was about to respond when Constance cut him off. "You don't need to."

The three looked at Constance in surprise, "Why not?" Kate asked, pulling Constance on to the bus.

"_Because_," Constance said, before Reynie shoved his hand over her mouth. "Not here," he hissed.

Constance growled and the group made their way to the back of the bus. Sitting in the back four seats the group continued their discussion. "Continue, and be quiet!" Reynie whispered, with as much forcefulness as he could manage (which wasn't much).

"What I mean is," Constance explained, "Mr. Benedict made us all new identities that could be used when we needed to do something like this."

"That won't work," Sticky said.

"Oh now Georgie way to ruin it, like you **always **do," Constance said humphing as she mocked him.

"Now hold on Sticky," Kate said, "Why wouldn't it work? I'm willing to try anything that will lead me to my parents."

"Because Mr. Benedict will be trying to find us."

"And why aren't we letting him help us?" Constance asked..

The group looked at Kate who was finding her feet interesting at the moment. "Kate, there's something you're hiding from us," Reynie said putting his hand on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her.

She jerked away suddenly. "Because the note said I couldn't tell him, or he'd kill them both."

"Oh," Sticky said.

"It's ok Kate," Reynie said, "We'll stand by you through this."

"Thank you."

They rode for the next ten minutes in silence. "So where does this bus let off?" Reynie asked.

"I paid to go to Samsnanan avenue."

"That's the next stop," Sticky said.

"From there we'll take a cab to Bridge Town," Reynie said. "That's the closest place we'll get to Atlanta tonight."

"Atlanta?" Constance exclaimed, "Why on earth are we going to Atlanta?"

"Because that's only international airport that goes to England," Sticky said. "It's a good thing I manage to read up on the London Underground three months ago."

Kate sighed. Curtain was hurting her, and her family. Thinking about this made her tear up, and however much she wanted to she _would _not cry.

Seeing her distress Reynie said, "We'll need to get a hotel once we reach Bridge Town," So that we're well rested to find out how to get new identities. I know this day has been hard for you, but… it will get better."

Kate continue,d looking at her feet. At that moment the driver announced that they had reached Samsanan Avenue. The society got off the bus. Then they caught a taxi (with an extremely annoyingly suspicious driver [to whom they all gave fake names]) to Bridge Town, where they convinced the receptionist that their parents were arriving the next day. Upon deciding to rise early they set the alarm and went to sleep.

_July 26__th_

The morning sun rose like a signal for Kate. A signal that she did not have much time to get to London. Especially if fake identities were to be created. The others rose soon and they decided to go downstairs to get the breakfast. "I hope they have candy," Constance said.

"Constance have you actually ever stayed in a hotel before?" Sticky asked.

"No, I have a poem about infested hotels though. Want to hear it?" Constance asked slyly.

Trying to throw her of Sticky said that he would love to. "I can read minds you know!" Constance said and began to sing about hotels with roaches in the sheets, and flies in the waffle batter.

Everyone groaned. They sat down. Constance and Kate went to get their food first. Then Reynie and Sticky went to get their food. As Constance was shoving bits of waffle down her throat a conversation of what to do next began. "So how are we going to get those identities?" Reynie asked.

"It's going to be hard, very hard," Sticky told them.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Kate said. Little did any of them realize how true that statement was.

"And we also have to get more than birth certificates. We have to get passports and parent's allowance on departure to another country." 

"Great…" said Constance drawing out the _a_ sound.

"Constance can you please try to be positive?" Reynie asked. "For Kate?"

Constance thought about it, "Nah."

They continued to eat in silence. Just as they were finishing a hotel employee came up to them. "Umm, is one you Kate Wetherall?"

"That would be me," Kate said.

"Then this is for you," The employee said handing her a white envelope. She opened the envelope cautiously. Inside was a letter. (Wow, a letter in an envelope, no way!) Kate looked at it and her face fell. "Oh dear," She exclaimed as her face turned to rage.

"They want us to meet them in a warehouse; they've given directions from the hotel. This is bad! Oh I'm going to murder Curtain!" Kate screamed.

They took a moment for this to let in. "We can't," Reynie said.

"We have to or they'll kill my parents. Don't you see, he has control like he always wanted," Kate said, her face going blank and expressionless once more.

"We'll have to be careful," Sticky said.

"We'll probably all die," Constance said.

"Constance! This is serious," Reynie said.

So they left the hotel. Taking a cab down to the warehouse they spent the last piece of their money. The warehouse was a grim place. Even at 10oclock in the morning the place looked like a dark omen. "Should we knock?" Sticky asked.

"Knock?" Constance mimicked, "It's a warehouse for Pete's sake!"

"I don't think we need to," Reynie said, walking up and opening the warehouses doors. The doors flew open revealing an empty warehouse except for a man holding several folders surrounded by four suitcases.

Kate led them to the man, carefully grasping her bucket. "What do you want?" She asked rudely.

The man chuckled slightly. "It's not what I want, it's what Curtain wants."

"Tell Curtain to kiss his own butt!" 

"Kate!" Reynie exclaimed.

"I'll make sure to pass on the message," the man said.

"Now what does Curtain want?"

"Just to give you more instructions, you're going to Calafornia."

"What, I thought we were going to London."

"Oh, you are. But you're still going to California. To pick up something to aid you while you're in England."

"Does Curtain think my mother's life is a game?"

"Of course he does. He's into games now. You're playing a game," The man laughed. "Prepare for the twists of the games."

Kate growled. "Rather feisty aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am."

The man showed them the suitcases. "They're packed with your essentials. He handed them each a folder. These are your new identities, which will aid you. There're birth certificates, passports, parental consents, air plain tickets, money, and pretty much everything you need document wise."

They took the folders giving him looks which betrayed their hatred.

"I'll be seeing you soon," he said and walked out the back door of the warehouse.

Kate sighed. She was part of a game. And even though she was one step closer to finding her parents, the stakes were so much higher.

**A/N Well that's the chapter. Come on now I want a review to post the next chapter. At least show me that someone is reading this!**


	5. Chapter 5

Fiction C PART 5

**A/N: Ok, first of all let me say: I got my first flame! I love those immature little things that don't even make sense! Let me just say that I am not writing this for you to like. I'm happy if you like it; but I'm looking to improve my writing. I do read the books, quite often actually. Maybe that's how I noticed that it never specifically says how Kate's mom dies. In this fic Kate's mom is still alive. It is the way she loses her mind. There will be other factors involved of course…**

**Thank you for the review Grammar Defender. I'm considering getting a beta. Ok I will review why they're headed to the UK and why Curtain wants them there. Also I realized I may have not cleared something up. This is Kate's path of destruction. She hasn't killed anyone yet. This is right after the night when half of the locket came in the package. Right now she's confused with her emotions, and angry at Curtain. Another thing, this chapter will mainly be used to help make the characters more 'in character'. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaim: Do you honestly think that Trenton Lee Stewart would hack my account and begin posting his own work? I've already told you I don't own anything!**

_July 27__th_

Sticky was questioning theses circumstances. For all they knew it was one big trap. A trap designed by Curtain to capture them all. When he thought about Curtain throwing him into something worse than the waiting room… it made him tremble with fear. Then he would absentmindedly reach for his glasses that would need some desperate polishing.

Their plain for California was leaving today. At noon they would be in the air, flying to play some desperate game of Curtain's. It was nerve breaking that's what it was. Sticky's glasses had been polished more times in the last two weeks then they ever had.

When Sticky woke up Kate was already up. She was dressed and sitting on the chair by the wall, looking at the locket. Her eyes were beginning to tear up again.

The morning passed by with much trouble. They ate breakfast in the area downstairs. This morning the breakfast bar had pastries; which Constance gobbled up before anyone else could have any. Kate ate a rather large meal, consisting of everything the breakfast bar offered and then some. Sticky had no idea how she could eat such a large meal when under such emotional stress. Sticky ate very little. He didn't do well on plain rides anyway. This was another reason why he had hated those quizzes when he was younger.

Reynie went to the front desk to ask for the news paper. He began to flip through the pages until he reached the table where they were eating. Upon arriving he gasped and through the paper on the table. "What is it?" Kate asked bending down to look at it, and then she gasped.

Constance looked at the paper and sprayed the Guava juice she had in her mouth on Sticky, who yelped and began to polish his glasses. The paper read:

_**BENEDICT TAKEN CUSTODY**_

Nicholas Benedict, who notably put his now escaped brother in prison last year, has been taken under custody. Benedict was taken under custody for withholding information on missing children. He and the children's parents are now located in Stone Town jail. Benedict was noted for his – Story continues on page C3

"No!" Sticky said.

"This has grown," Reynie said. "Now it's personal."

Personal was not a strong enough word. The grim mood of Kate spread to the entire group. Everyone they loved was in danger. After Kate attempted to comfort Constance, Sticky was about to have a nervous breakdown himself. "Ok," Kate said the pain evident in her voice. "We need to… catch a plain."

"But Kate look at what he did to our families. It's probably just a trap to catch all of us," Reynie protested.

"Probably," Kate agreed.

"And you're fine with that?"

"Honestly Reynie," Kate said, "I thought that you were the clever one."

"What's that supposed to mean," he asked defensively. "I'm not-."

Kate cut him off. "Oh you know it. You realize why we have to go."

Reynie's pained expression read otherwise. "Reynie, if we don't go he'll kill them. The only chance of him not killing them is for us to go, even if it is a trap."

Sighing he agreed, "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Kate said, inwardly sighing with relief.

"Curtain is toying with us," Sticky, in the cab on the way to the airport.

Reynie expected Sticky's glasses to break with all the polishing they'd received in the last few days.

"We've already beaten Curtain _three _times," Constance smirked. "He should be afraid of us!"

"But he's got the upper hand this time," Reynie said staring out the window as air plains took off. All of them were beginning to understand this.

None of the children but Sticky had flow before. And this was the first time Sticky had flown without his parents. They checked their baggage in, to go to California, as none of them had any idea how long it would take them once in California. Next they had to go through security. They took there shoes off and Reynie put his backpack on the moving security check. They then proceeded to go through the metal check where a loud _beep beep beep _was heard. To everyone's horror they realized that Kate ad brought her bucket as carry on.

The inspection did not go well with Kate. They slowly went through the contents of her bucket, wide eyed at the pocket knife and rope. Then they proceeded to give her a pat down, which she also despised.

Then they completely emptied Constance's back pack of all the candy inside ("When did she get that?" Sticky exclaimed).

On the way to the right terminal Kate muttered, "I hate airports."

**I read through this and I think the grammar's a lot better. Microsoft word didn't pick anything up, and I reread it as to make sure it's better.**


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